England - The Dales Way - The Styles of Stiles (and Gates) & More

One of the banes (and charms) of walking the Dales Way is passing over and/or through the many stone walls, hedgerows, and fences that delineate the pastures. Here's a sampling.

Stiles

Stiles are a set of steps that go over the wall. Some were particularly challenging to squeeze through.

An easy rock stile - the steps aren't very steep, and the passage at the top is wide.

A typical style -- steep steps, narrow passage, and at least one gate. Sometimes there are gates on both sides.

There were also wooden stiles to go over. Sometimes the wooden ones had "doggy doors" so that dogs did not have to negotiate the steps and jump the rails at the top of the steps.

Nelly Bridge has it all. A stile on one end, then the footbridge, and finally a gate on the far end of the bridge.

Gates

In addition to a normal gate, there are "kissing gates" that allow just one person at a time to go through.

Sue opened the gate and entered the triangular area on the left, then swung the gate forward to be able to pass out the back.

And then Lon repeated the process. Kissing gates are easier than styles, but still sometimes a tight squeeze -- especially with a pack.

Way Markers

In theory, you shouldn't need a guide book to follow the Dales Way. In practice, a good guide book is essential.

Sometimes posts with way markers on them are frequent. In other places you kinda have to guess about the path. We only missed one or two posts, and misinterpreted a couple more. That's where the guide books are essential! When in doubt, consult the guide!

Typical footpath markers. There were also markers specific to the Dales Way. Left: Yorkshire Dales National Park marker. Right: Lake District National Park marker.

This type of post was common. We also found "DW" painted on rocks or walls.

Guide Books

There are three good guides to the Dales Way. Each has it's strengths. All are available on Amazon. Our trip was arranged by Contours Walking Holidays (www.contours.co.uk), so we did not need as much information on the logistics of planning the trip.

Our favorite is the original:
Colin Speakman. Dales Way: The Complete Guide, 11th Ed., 2016. Skyware Ltd. (www.skyware.co.uk)
Thorough, informative, entertaining. The author is one of the founders of the Dales Way.
Detailed maps. Includes link paths from Leeds, Bradford, and Harrogate.

Also useful:
Henry Steadman. Dales Way, 2016. Trailblazer Publications. (www.trailblazer-guides.com)
Good background information on flora, fauna, environment.
Detailed maps with charming commentary. ("A whole series of gates, stiles, and a combination of the two precedes Kettlewell, ensuring that you'll arrive in desperate need of refreshment.") Accurate information on elevation profile of the route.
Guidance on where to eat and sleep.

This guide was included in the packet from our tour company, and seemed to be the most used by others. We found it the least useful.
Terry Marsh. The Dales Way, 3rd Ed., 2018. Cicerone. (www.cicerone.co.uk)
Waterproof cover.
1:25,000 Ordnance Survey maps of the route in a pull-out booklet. Elevation profiles hopelessly wrong.
Excellent appendices with "useful contacts" and accommodations. Very useful if you are planning your own trip.
The only guide to give details on walking the reverse path from Bowness-on-Windermere to Ilkley.